afternoon... so i now want a gravel bike and i want one.... soon.
i have a budget of about £750.... hit me with some recommendations, if there are any in this price bracket!
cheers!
You might be able to pick up a 2018 Cannondale topstone with a lower spec for that price.
thats not a bad shout... i can happily wait till the end of season sale is in full swing
I was looking at a few of them myself but they didn't have them in my size at the time. Went for Merlin Malt G1-X Frame and borrowed bits off my old bike.
Evans seemed to have quite a few topstones though.
i may give the reading shop a shout to see if they have any... need to sit on and have a blast first
What does the arkose start at?
850 in evans
CX/ gravel bikes (I'm not getting into definitions! Lol) are always coming up in the Classifieds.👍
Calibre Dark Peak is worth looking at
https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15919182/calibre-dark-peak-adventure-bike-15919182
Mango Point AR
https://www.mangobikes.com/shop/bikes/point-ar/point-ar-tiagra/
PX Full Monty
have seen a couple but i need to get to sit on a few (please can the school term start early?!?!) before i pull he trigger.
Pinnacle Dacite?
Just take the mudguards off if they bother you.
There's more than a few on Pinkbike or in Facebook groups...some barely ridden.
I'm selling a 2018 arkose alfine 8 on ebay right now! Medium... Within your price range...
@daftvadar that's what she said.
weren't talking to my wife then! lol
I'd say decide if you want hydro brakes, there's a few bikes at that price with them, but they're expensive too add later on.
PX XLA is £720 ATM with a 20% off code. Hydraulic discs too!
I’m heading up to Derbyshire in a couple of weeks so will be having a look at Planet X
56cm merida cx500 for sale here. 😉
I bought a cheapy voodoo Nakisi early on in the year from halfords didn't want to spend much as I wasn't sure about the whole gravel thing paid £440 reduced from £550 and I got it on the cycle to work so it was even cheaper. Got to say I'm very impressed nearly 900 miles now and not so much as a puncture.
@daftvader - couldn't you just lend one for an afternoon to see if you like it?
Where are you based? What size do you need?
Giant Toughroad? I paid less than your budget for last years model in march. It's a great bike and takes 2.1 tyres if needed
This evening I inadvertently ended up in a grassy cow pasture on my Trek Domane with 25mm tubeless slicks. I have decided I don't need a gravel bike now, just the local OS map downloading to my phone.
What are the skinniest cyclo-cross tyres BTW?
@elshalimo my old CAADX was 54, my synapse was 56.... so probably a 55! 😁 and I’m in Hampshire... @nobeerinthefridge I’m after something a bit more relaxed
Buy cheap, buy twice
0% credit card and a Mason Bokeh 😄
😂😂😂
Edit: I’ll have the Ti grx Di2
I bought two entry level 2018 Spesh Diverges at the beginning of the year, one for £560 and the second for £500.
Whatever you get, for your budget I would insist on hydraulic discs, all those apex build PXs have BB5 brakes
If you can stretch another £50 past the budget:
Or
Or hold out for the clearances in a month or two...
Completely agree with the necessity for hydro brakes on a gravel bike. Lightweight frames with less tyre contact area and higher speeds mean modulation and the ability to feather the brakes is very important to avoid locking a wheel. Skidding on a mtb with 2.5 tyres and wide bars at 20mph is easily controlled but at 35 mph on 38mm and drops - not so much fun